Toyota Sequoia Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Comments

Toyota has not been competitive with other car manufactures when it comes to offering cash incentives on the Sequoia. The result appears to be a lot of lost sales even when a dealer offers $3,900 off sticker as in your case.

I would have waited but the time had come for me replace my 2001 Sequoia so waiting was not an option for me.

I understand the stalemate position you are in and if you do not need to buy now ,wait. The economy is not looking so good and Toyota will have to offer cash incentives in 2010 if they want to sell this vehicle.

Per CNBC, the auto mnfrs release Dec. sales tomorrow, so stay tuned. [Toyota never seems to be the first, so could be later in the day.] I think sales generally will be up, but have no idea on Sequoia specifically.

Sorry, busy yesterday; here they are. SEQUOIA = 1,760 in December 09 versus 2,399 in December 08, which is down -31.9%. Toyota saw a December surge and other vehicles seemed to do well based on this report, so my guess is that the Sequoia number must reflect something other than decreasing demand. Their willingness to increase incentives may depend more on units produced/available compared to units sold, and that may have seen an uptick in December versus November (just guessing, but this data won't tell you that). One thing though is that clearly there is more growing demand for other vehicles than the Sequoia, so maybe, even though they cut supply on the Sequoia, this weakened demand relative to other vehicles could spur incentives. No idea, key is to get a measure of the average lot-sitting time of Sequoias these past 3-5 months and whether that is increasing or decreasing. If you have an honest friend that is a dealer, maybe they know.

So I called Toyota Financial. They will only do it if you apply and are approved for a line of credit for your business at the time of purchase. You do not need to provide 2 years of business taxes as I was told my the dealership. They simply pull your company's credit and if you qualify than that's it.

For the price, also look at AMEX and AAA car buying service. Sequoias are not moving so you should be able to get a good deal. I am not into red colors but I had a dealer in baltimore area offering me that limited, 4wd with navi and dvd player for 49500.

I have been looking for an SR5 in the Tennessee area and have selection to be extremely limited with mostly platinums on the lots. I'm hesitant to order one sight unseen because I'm interested in the Sports Appearance Package that adds the 20 inch wheels and bucket seats in the back and don't know if the seats will be comparable to the platinum. Also has anyone used overstock.com to purchase a car. I received a quote from the site for an SR5 with the SAP MSRP: 40,796; Invoice: 37,770; and quote of 36,570. Seems like a reasonable quote but wanted to see if any one had any experience with this approach and if it is a good price.

I think that is a great price, you are buying below invoice with no cash incentives. I am using Overstocked.Com and was able to get a price of $732 over invoice. The price of the vehicle has gone down since I ordered which is reflected on Overstocked .Com.today.

Timing is everything and had I waited the price would have been at invoice today using Overstocked .Com.in the area that I am buying.

The vehicle I am buying had to be special ordered as none were in inventory.I was willing to pay a little more to get the exact vehicle with the options and colors that I wanted as opposed to being forced into buying something that came close.

Prior to using Over Stock. Com one dealer told me to pick a first and second exterior color and they would try and find the vehicle. The salesman was told that our agreed opon price was dead if he could not get the vehicle as requested . The deal was terminated for several reasons options and color were of no concern to the dealer.

The end result was the good fortune in finding the overstoked.com site where the vehicle was special ordered $556 dollars less than the above deal. I then sold my 2001 Sequoia to a private party $1,300 higher than offered by the dealer.

Toyota might offer some cash incentives later this year but your price is the best that I have seen by anyone so far.

I bought a Platinum last week at $1,000 below invoice. I used the USAA (my insurance carrier) car buying service to get a quote and then took it to a dealer that had the Sequoia I wanted. They accepted the price even though they weren't a USAA certified dealer.

That seems like a reasonable market price. Without incentives, this $54.5 - 56.5K area seems to be the price range I am seeing for these Platinums. They go up or down perhaps based on where you are in the country. I just priced another Platinum in the Mid-Atlantic today, and the total price (everything except tax and tags) was $55,193.00 if I bought today. Still, no incentives though.

I also checked all the 50 or so dealerships' inventory in the greater Wash DC area (all the way to Baltimore) and there are (assuming their web sites are somewhat accurate) only 16 Platinums, 19 Limiteds, and 5 SR5s sitting on lots. Again, that sounds like very low supply for a major area like this, so even with low demand for this big SUV, Toyota is keeping supply very low it seems to me to avoid the need for incentives.

I can't imagine any incentives coming out on the Sequoia if they have only 40 sitting on lots in this region. So, again, I am at a stalemate. Not sure anything will happen soon to push this under $54K here, so again I plan to maybe posotpone the purchase another year (and see if I can make do with what I got) while I also weigh the Infiniti Q. Nice thing though, is I am somewhat lucky and can afford to wait (I know not everyone can).

The New Jersey area has more inventory on the lots but that might be too far north for you. The best price for a 4x4 Platinum on overstoked.com was $ 55,881. The price seems to go down 3 to 5 hundred dollars at the end of the month as dealers scramble to meet a quota.

Got a 2010 4x4, LTD, Navigation, RSE for $51,344, $1,500 7yr / 125k mile warranty. Right now it's a buyer's market. The dealer gave me the car close to invoice and made $400 on the warranty. I was ok with that. I guess the ext warranty for the 4x4 sequoia is the most expensive because of the type and size of the vehicle. In one of the dealerships I was at, I was the only customer in a 2 1/2 hour period. And this is in San Diego. Still a slow time out there. Buy now if you can.

Hi, This is my first time posting a message. My family and I wish to purchase a nearly new 2008 or 2009 Sequoia SR5 4WD with less than 30,000 miles. I've searched Autotrader.com and Cars.com and have found approximately 15 vehicles (formerly rental/lease vehicles) which would meet our needs and all of these Sequoia's are priced at the approximately $34,000 (Toyota dealers and other dealers). What is the best price I can hope to pay for these amazing Sequoia's in January 2010? I would appreciate any tips or advise on the best strategy for making an offer (online or in person) from readers of this forum. Thanks very much. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best Regards, Brian

FWIW, there is 'no' good price for any car. It is your mental make up & belief and buying parameters, based on need/want, living/driving conditions that you will end up putting a value on and hence justifying it against the purchase of any car - used or new.

Hence, with that said, you can find TONS of info on pricing that will make your head swim and want to close the computer. You will get varied advises on what are good / bad prices. You will find info on this and other forums as to what each person paid and you will need to do your own due diligence in driving the dealer towards the price you want. Don't make the purchase an emotional one since then you will be negotiating against yourself, if that makes sense.

I paid $54.5 for a new platinum. I WANT to think and believe I paid the lowest price; however I know that there is someone out there who paid lesser than me & someone who paid full MSRP and above.

My $0.02/-: I moved from a 03 Ford Exp Eddie Bauer. I blv that the Sequoia beats the Ford Exp hands down in terms of creature comforts, driving style, interior space, abundance of storage & cup holders, and a slightly elevated driving position. I like the Seq so far.

P.S: You may want to buy an extended warranty and ask the dealer to throw that in as part of the price.

I have not seen a lot of threads on extended warranty. Has anyone bought one?

I'm planning to keep my Seq for at least 7 years and at least for $80K miles. Is an extended warranty a good thing, especially reading some threads on nav issues, drive line/engine issues, etc?

Also, any prices paid will be appreciated. I have been given a quote for 8yrs/100K/$0 ded for $1150/- thru' the Toyota Vehicle Assurance Program.

Also planning to buy into the 4yr/55k vehicle maintenance pgm that will take care of ALL scheduled maintenance. This is for $850/-. (Yes I did the math on this & unless I'm very disciplined and detail oriented in collecting, which I'm not, in collecting the promo coupons and oil change service specials, the plan works out saving me money in the long run, especially twds year 3 & 4.)

HelloNew to the forum.Bear my ignorance.When you guys mention prices do you include the taxes.I am getting 52,300 for a 2010 Sequoia LTD 4WD.With taxes it wil be 54K+The dealer is is selling me different warranties for different prices.Which one are you all talking about?Thanks.N

Bought our 1st 2010 Sequoia LTD in mid December through an internet mgr in New Orleans - sold it for factory invoice $48,106 vs Retail price $52,339. That excludes taxes. They didn't offer any special finance incentivesI don't know about your options - what is the retail for your vehicle?Dealer threw in lifetime powertrain warranty - I didn't buy other additional warranty.Is it a good idea to buy more warranty - if so - what is the best way to do that?

Mine was the Platinum with a paint protection package + the cargo + the door sill protection. I think they threw in the carpets as well plus the cargo net. I paid $54.5 all inclusive i.e. on road. The retail on the vehicle was just under $62K.

The platinum does not have any 'major' options I think. And there were no dealer incentives in Oregon when I bought it.

I purchased the Toyota Vehicle Assurance Plan (extended warranty from toyota). It is sold thru' the dealers. I purchased mine from Midwest Toyota in Kansas (contact point: Jerry Johnson), since his was the best price. My dealer here in Portland, OR could not even come close to that price.

I purchased that PLUS the scheduled maintenance since I did not want to nor my wife to worry about how much it is going to cost every time we take the vehicle for service. Plus I have read some threads about electronics failing, sunroof not opening, gear systems failing, etc. I don't want to worry about money if that happens. Hence I paid it upfront. I'm not smart enough to deal with those type of issues NOR do I know any mechanics NOR am I smart enough to know if the dealer is pulling wool over my eyes if and when I decide to sell the vehicle and he claims the 4*4 is failing or some other crap to undersell. Ext warranty helps, to a certain extent, when you sell the vehicle. (You see those signs about Certified Preowned)

Hence to abate the above, I ponied up the money upfront. Buying an extended warranty is like your insurance (auto or life). You never need it till you meet with an accident. Time is the only person that will tell you in X number of years if it was a wise decision to buy an extended warranty or not. Nobody else can.

It does not matter if the vehicle has been rated the best of the best or the worst of the worst. Every machine has a failure rate at some point in time. If you have warranty at the time the machine fails, you are better served; if your machine has served you without dropping at all, great. Warranties are insurance. Why do companies give you a 3 year/36K warranty when it brand new? Would it not make sense to give us the same warranty AFTER 3 years when it is more prone to failure?

Sorry for the long post. It is your call on if you want to buy one or not. And if you decide to buy, shop around. Decide how long you plan to keep & how many miles you will drive in a year. I shopped around & found Jerry Johnson @ Midwest Toyota to be the cheapest. (Don't ask me how he does it OR why your dealer is not matching that price if the warranty is assured by Toyota. Maybe JJ has low overhead?!?)

I am a Sequoia LTD owner, and I can tell you that 52k or 54k (out the door) for a LTD sounds ridiculous. That's just me, but keep in mind that Sequoias aren't moving like other models. Case in point, Toyota never released a 2009 model (only 2008 and 2010 were released). These dealers must be trying to hose you w/ a cost of 50k plus. Try contacting the "Internet Manager" or the fleet manager directly, and avoid the floors sales reps at all costs. You could also try contacting a more senior sales manager directly, as they may be more interested in moving inventory and getting the factory incentives rather than risk losing a sale and paying out a commission to a floor rep. Here's I how worked this...My technique was to email the Internet or sales mgr's directly -- don't use the Edmunds email form tool, as they do not take that as a serious offer to buy, so send a personal email -- and I told them that I was ready to buy immediately and wanted a LTD in color X for price $Y. Then the calls came flooding in. That put me in a really good spot to negotiate and play off of the various offers. Long story short, I got them below invoice by over $1K. So this strategy is at least worth a try!

As for warranties, I'm sure there's a totally separate thread for this topic, while this is a personal decision, the odds are stacked in favor of the house (i.e. the dealer/factory). These contracts are very expensive, and one of the biggest profit centers for a dealer. They look even more expensive when you factor in the time value of money or opportunity costs here. You're essentially paying now for something that MAY provide some benefit more than 3 years from now. It is not comparable to something like life insurance (as previous post alluded) in terms of the cost v. benefit. Even reputable 3rd parties like Consumer Reports advise against these. Remember, you're buying a Toyota, which generally has a good rep for long term quality, not a VW Jetta or some other lemon. FYI, I have 2 other Toyotas with over 120K miles each and they're still going!

And regarding magesh's question above about why dealers don't offer the extended warranty only after the factory warranty expires instead of upfront like they typically do at point of sale, there is a good reason for that. Simply, a customer is more likely to make an impulse purchase upfront when bundled with something else. This is textbook consumer behavior. You're less likely to make that warranty purchase once you walk out the door. Also, if they only offered the warranty after the factory one expired, the company would be subject to adverse selection (i.e. mostly people who need the warranty [due to repair-prone car, etc] would buy at that time), which would drive up the costs to everyone.

Paint protection? Really? :confuse:

Just trying to help. I have a lot of experience negotiating with these folks over the years, so I hope some of this is helpful and keeps more money in your pocket as opposed to their's.

I have seen a couple of posts of people buying a Sequoia $1,000 or more below invoice. This price is without any dealer cash incentive.Using overstocked.com price on a 4x4 Platinum lists retail for 60,355 invoice is $55,381and true cost $53,745. List price $55,381 minus $1000 =$54,381

$54,381 minus true cost 53,745 =$ 636.0 or profit made on the deal for Toyotaand the dealership.

Mconra129: I've done some research and have found that the factory invoice for a LTD Sequoia is $46,677. Once you factor in Destination and Advertising ($950+$959=$1909) your at $48,586. And then there's 6% sales tax. I'm thinking $51,500 OUT THE DOOR is a good deal. This would be the first new car that I buy so I haven't had much experience with this negotiation process. The MSRP on the vehicle is $52,625. That's the current deal I have on the table for a "standard" Limited Sequoia; no extra options. In fact, I've had to special order my vehicle of choice because Toyota is now build ALL LIMITEDs with Navigation and I don't want the Toyota Navigation System. Additionally, the deal includes the RED ROCK interior which is not an option for the LIMITED but the Dealership believes they can get toyota to build it. Again, do you think $51,500 is a good deal out the door? If not, given the numbers I've provided, what do you or anyone else out there believe would be a good price to pay for the aforementioned vehicle. It will be another 4-6 weeks before the vehicle arrives and my $500 deposit is FULLY REFUNDABLE. Thoughts?

I just special ordered a 2010 LTD Silver Sky Metallic with Red Rock interior. My OUT THE DOOR PRICE is $51,500. I "believe" that is a good deal considering the factory invoice was 46,677, and that is what I paid prior to adding 6% sales tax, $950 for Destination and $959 Advertising. I'm still waiting on final approval from Toyota as to if they are going to build the vehicle since RED ROCK is a higher end leather and I don't want the navigation which is being added into every 2010 Sequoia for $1500. According to the Gen. Mgr, subtracting the Nav is not a problem but adding the RED ROCK may be more challenging. However, they believe they can get TOYOTA to make the modifications. If the build is approved I could have my Sequoia by Mid March. Cross your fingers!

Hi - I thought I got a very good deal buying a 2010 LTD for factory invoice in Dec.So, how much value has been lost with the quality/safety issues- seems like anyone wanting a new Toy should be able to buy very low??

I ordered my Sequoia SR5 4x4 back in Oct and paid $730 over invoice .The price has been going down since the order was placed. Timing is everything and you bought at the right time. You got a great deal and the price you paid is what Over stocked .com lists for a limited today.

I suspect the quality/ safety issue may bring the price down even more depending opon the amount of unsold inventories for this model. The inventories for this model were low before the last round of recalls so only time will tell how this affects the inventory level.

Do you have any second thoughts about buying the vehicle due to the recent recall on this model ?

That's not too bad out the door, though not great (just my opinion though). Granted, I bough my Sequoia LTD just over a year ago, but that said, given all of the "issues" Toyota is having lately, I'd think they'd be awfully hungry to make deals. Nobody is buying Toyotas.

I was able to buy my LTD for $1000 below invoice period. The only "extras" I paid was a doc/DMV fee at the dealer (which was maybe around 200 bucks?) - plus sales tax -- that was it.

If your current dealership won't move, then you can always try another (assuming you live in a major metro area).

Also, the red rock interior is pretty cool, so if you're mind is set on that and they're able to get it for you, then don't let me get in the way of your happiness.

Lastly, have you tried speaking to the "Internet Manager" at a competing dealership? You could tell him/her that you're ready to buy now and will buy from him/her TODAY if he can give you the truck for $XX.

Thanks for the insight. The dealership just informed me that Toyota rejected my special order request because of the Red Rock. They resubmitted the request today and believe they will have feedback by sometime next week. I did think about going to other dealerships again, but in all honesty, I'm a little tired of this process. However, I may take your advice and try to speak with the internet/fleet manager and see if I can get a better deal. My only concern with going to another dealership is the the fact that I won't receive the following benefits:Free Lifetime"Free Oil changes for lifeGuaranteed engine for lifeFree 24 hour roadside assistance within 50 miles of the dealership for lifeFree pickup and delivery of my vehicle with a scheduled appointment for life (pickup and delivery must be within 50 miles of the dealership)Free loaner vehicle for life whenever I have a scheduled service10% of all service and accessories get store away and credited toward my next vehicle (up to $2500 can be used toward my next vehicle)Parts and service guaranteed for lifeand a couple of other smalll items. You just don't get these types of benefits from every dealership. However, this family of dealerships gives all this stuff free of charge as part of the sale. If Toyota rejects it again, I'll more than likely wait until March 1st to get a 2010 Limited off the lot. Hopefully, they'll have some incentives in place starting in March. We'll see!!!

I do have a question for you. You stated you were able to get you LTD for $1000 below invoice plus Tax. If you don't mind, what was invoice or what price did you pay prior to TTL? Please fill me in. Perhaps I can be a bit more agressive in getting my price decreased especially with all the quality issues.

Damos - I found it much less hassle dealing with the internet/fleet mgr - I didn't meet him til we drove 50 miles to pickup the vehicle -everything was email - local dealership wouldn't match their offer. My deal was invoice price - if you can do better great. Of course invoice already has holdback and other added costs that guarantee a profit. I suspect a hungry dealership can shave off the invoice price. below is a list of the items...

Toyota Is Said to Discuss Rebates, Warranties to Lure Customers.I found this today on Bloomburg.com.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aM5z4iMAT.oYThe article stated something like, "Ideas being considered include warranties of as long as 10 years and rebates of thousands of dollars per vehicle that would start in March, said three executives from retailer groups with Toyota franchises. They declined to be identified because the discussions are private."